Season 3 Race 4: Bahrain Grand Prix Introduction

For the second race in a row, Formula D travels to unknown territories. This time it’s the hot desert sands of the Middle East, where the Bahrain International Circuit will challenge the drivers with conditions unlike any they’ve ever seen before. The oppressive heat will stifle the cars and drivers, while the sharp corners will strain the limits of the engine and gearbox. With Bahrain being Nergal’s de facto home race, the pressure is on them especially to perform well. But the championship is balanced on a knife edge, and there’s no way to tell who will come out on top as the Bahrain Grand Prix begins now.

Season 3 Race 3: Chinese Grand Prix Press Clippings

McGee Continues Title Defense
With two wins in three races, Leonard McGee continues to successfully defend his World Drivers Championship. “He’s really upped his game this season,” teammate Mic McJergens said after the race. “A lot of his first championship was luck. He was fast, but it took him awhile to get it together. This season he’s in control, and even though there are so many unknowns, he’s taking everything in stride and proving his skill.” Though it’s still early in the season, many commentators have pointed out the skill McGee has demonstrated this season. Will Nergal take a third championship, or is it too early to tell?

GP-D Returns with Dramatic Win from Guardian GP
GP-D, the official feeder series for Formula D, started once again this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix. With the departure of Samuel Jake, the defending Dovetail Racing Technologies team scooped up Willard Dilandau to fill the gap. However, it was his previous team, Guardian GP, that took the inaugural win of the season. Dante Linqua led the race from pole and sent Guardian into the lead in both championships. With Guardian in a strong position from last season, will their momentum carry through the 14 races that is the GP-D season 3 calendar?

Season 3 Race 3: Chinese Grand Prix Race Summary

The weather did not clear for race day, and Wright and to a greater extent Centurion had to stick with their somewhat damaged Wet tires from the end of the previous day’s qualifying. Koenig-RTK opted to break parc ferme and start from the pit lane on both cars, giving themselves the chance to increase their suspension’s resilience at the expense of their gearbox. However, they would not be able to join the race until each car had passed the pit exit.

Season 3 Race 3: Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying

The weather going into qualifying was changeable, and the teams hesitant to make any substantial changes as the weather could go either way. Because the track was such an unknown, the field opted to start on their default strategies.

Q1 started in the dry, and Koenig-RTK’s changes did not do them any favors. They were knocked out quickly by McJergens, Michelle, and the Wrights. Esfandiari in particular put in a strong opening performance, securing his position in Q2 by an astounding margin. However, the weather changed just before the end of the session. McGee was on track at the time and aborted his lap in favor of safety. He was unable to defend the team’s position any further, and Sylvester took the last Q2 spot, knocking McJergens out along with his teammate and the Koenig-RTK drivers.

Q2 was a continual downpour. Esfandiari went out first but could not find the speed he needed to secure pole. Michelle went out second, crushing Esfandiari’s time and securing pole position with ease. Sylvester followed closely behind, giving Centurion a 1-2 qualifying session that left them in a strong position for the race tomorrow.

Starting Grid	Team	Changes (KERS)	Q1 Tires	Q2 Tires
1) Michelle	Centurion	N/A (K)	Wets	Wets
2) Sylvester	Centurion	N/A (K)	Options	Wets
3) Castillo	Wright	N/A (K)	Options	Wets
4) Esfandiari	Wright	N/A (K)	Options	Wets
5) McJergens	Nergal	N/A (K)	Options
6) Strecht	Koenig-RTK	N/A	Options
7) Hoffel	Koenig-RTK	N/A	Options
8) McGee	Nergal	N/A (K)	Wets

Season 3 Race 3: Chinese Grand Prix Storylines

New and Unexplored Territory – China’s debut on the calendar has had many teams scrambling to come up with a strategy. The circuit is a combination of undulating curves and long straights that will likely be a strain on even the most resilient of gearboxes. In many regards it is reminiscent of Malaysia, and with Koenig-RTK’s success at the high speed circuit in Kuala Lumpur, can they continue their surge in the championship here in Beijing?

The Best of the Rest – While Wright and Centurion are hardly doing badly this season, it is true that they’re currently tied for third place. An analysis of their strategies shows that tire wear may be to blame. With the new tires in play this year, will Centurion and Wright continue to struggle on their strategies, or will they find the grip they need without the wear? With China likely to be a rough circuit on tires, only time will tell.

Season 3 Race 3: Chinese Grand Prix Introduction

With only two races under their belt, Koenig-RTK has surged ahead in both championships. The fledgling team built on the back of L’equipe Duchamp was the wild card this season, and many predicted that they would be starting at a disadvantage. Not only have the critics been silenced, but now the competition is nervous. Wright and Centurion, both strong at the end of last season, now have nearly half the points of Koenig-RTK. And Nergal, having won every World Championship to date, is still playing catchup in spite of winning the opening race of the season. How long will it be before the other teams can match Koenig-RTK, or will they have to settle for second while the German team continues to dominate? Find out as the Chinese Grand Prix begins.

Season 3 Race 1: United States Grand Prix West Race Edit

Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Press Clippings

Koenig-RTK Surges Ahead
Hans Strecht’s victory marked the first win for Koenig-RTK as a constructor. Not only that, but Strecht and Hoffel’s second consecutive double podium has allowed the team to surge ahead in the Constructors Championship. With so many unknowns about the team’s drivers in play, it’s hard to tell if Koenig-RTK has snagged two exceptionally talented drivers or if their car is just the best package on the grid. Many media outlets claim a combination of both. Whatever the case, the other teams clearly have a lot to prove if they want to top the new team from Germany.

Mic McJergens: A Study in Age
With Nergal driver Mic McJergens celebrating his 30th birthday on track this weekend, many critics question whether or not the Irish driver is not too old to make a difference in Formula D. “His first season was practically art,” Darren Richardson, former Centurion driver said to the press. “But his early struggles in season 2 and his mediocre performance this year make it look like he’s lost some of that.” Indeed, many outlets have noted that McJergens is now the oldest driver on the grid, and that his performance this year is a step down from even his mediocre start to season 2. Nergal continues to stand behind its aging former world champion, but will it continue to do so if McJergens’ performance does not improve?

Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Race Summary

For the first time ever, the sun shone during the Malaysia Grand Prix. Both Nergal cars, Castillo, and Hoffel, who had been eliminated in Q1, all chose to fit the Options tires, while Sylvester, Michelle, Esfandiari, and Strecht had to remain on the same Options that they had fitted for Q2. With an all Options field, the race promised to get off to an interesting start.

Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Qualifying

Qualifying was in a torrent of rain, and all cars opted to go out on the Wets. Koenig-RTK and Nergal were unfazed, choosing to run their default setups despite the rain. However, Wright moved an engine point over to suspension to protect their car against debris. Centurion did something similar, choosing to shore up suspension at the expense of tire wear.